---
title: "How should an OpenAI Realtime app handle interruptions mid-response?"  
description: "How should an OpenAI Realtime app handle interruptions mid-response?"  
author: "María Fernanda Martínez"  
published: 2026-10-15  
updated: 2026-10-15  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/162428/how-should-an-openai-realtime-app-handle-interruptions-mid-response  
category: "OpenAI Realtime API"  
tags: ["OpenAI", "Realtime API", "Voice AI"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# How should an OpenAI Realtime app handle interruptions mid-response?

I’m building a voice interface with the OpenAI Realtime API, and I’m trying to get interruptions to feel natural. If someone starts speaking while the assistant is still talking, should the client cancel the current response immediately, or is there a better way to let the model account for the interruption?

I’m also unsure how to keep the conversation in sync when audio has already been generated or played by the time the user cuts in. If you’ve implemented barge-in behavior, what did you do about stopping playback and keeping the next turn’s context accurate?


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/162428/how-should-an-openai-realtime-app-handle-interruptions-mid-response

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